Blog: Entries From 2026
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Third Time in Oahu - Wednesday, March 4, 2026
Because we got Hawaiian Airlines points at the start of 2020 but were unable to use them due to a global pandemic, and because our last time visiting Hawaii was ten years ago, Priscilla decided that we were overdue for going back.
We haven't been to all the islands, but Priscilla wanted us to go to Oahu again because the Go City Oahu pass covered a lot of activities and she got a good deal on it. The pass was $784 for the two of us, but after travel credits it was around $330. So last month, we flew out from LAX for our 9-day trip.
Since our flight was at 8:30am, we took Uber to the LAX area the night before and stayed overnight at Holiday Inn. We still got up at 5:30am to pack up and catch the hotel shuttle to the airport, though we probably could've pushed it back half an hour since getting through security was a breeze. But better safe than sorry.
Our Hawaiian Airlines flight was a little over 5 hours. They served a breakfast sandwich, but Priscilla packed me a healthy breakfast since I have dietary restrictions, and since it meant that she could have double the sandwiches.
There was free Starlink WiFi onboard, courtesy of T-Mobile, and it was quite fast. Unlike traditional providers, Starlink uses low Earth orbit satellites that communicate with each other using lasers to create a mesh network that covers practically the whole globe.
We touched down at HNL on a Wednesday and took some time to check out the Cultural Gardens at the airport. Then we took Uber to the Residence Inn in Kapolei, our home for the next two days.
The biggest thing we did in Kapolei was the ropes course at Coral Crater Adventure Park. The course was fun enough but was a little short. Unlike the previous two ropes courses we've done, this one was completely supervised and didn't let you repeat obstacles. The course ended in going to the top of the tower and jumping off, with a belay system slowing your descent.
Our two days in Kapolei were pretty laid back. We did a lot of walking, enjoyed some of the nearby eateries (I mostly just got L&L), rewatched Happy Death Day, worked out at the hotel fitness center, and swam at the hotel pool. Nevertheless, it felt like we did a lot in those two days!
Friday, before taking Uber to Waikiki, we visited Pearl Harbor for the third time, this time seeing the paid exhibits thanks to the Oahu pass. We saw the USS Battleship Missouri Memorial, Aviation Museum, and the USS Bowfin. We particularly liked the Missouri, as it had a really immersive tour around and through the ship, so you got a picture of what life on board was like. It was cool to see things like a post office and a bread baking room on the ship! And seeing the difference between the very cozy crew bunks on the lower decks to the small cabins for lower-ranking officers to the fancy cabins for the captain and executive officer was very illustrative.
After checking into Holiday Inn Express Waikiki, where we would be staying for the remaining six nights, we headed over to Fort DeRussy Beach to catch the fireworks put on by the Hilton. There were so many people packed onto the beach and so many people in line for Steak Shack there. At least we were able to see all the fireworks as we waited in line for food. There was also a guy playing guitar and singing covers. He was really good, and it felt like we all had our own private concert right on the beach!
Saturday was supposed to be our rest day, but we ended up walking 9.3 miles and doing a lot! After mini golf and working out at the hotel, we walked to Komedokoro M's for lunch, Ala Moana Regional Park, got groceries from Foodland Farms at the Ala Moana Center, then later in the day saw the Kuhio Beach hula show, had dinner at King of Thai Boat Noodles, and finally walked along the Ala Wai Canal. During the walk back, we just happened to catch the 10-minute drone show that was put on for 'Iolani School on the other side of the canal. It was really something.
We're now trying to go to an actual church while traveling instead of livestreaming, so Sunday morning we visited Waikiki Baptist Church, just a block from our hotel. The worship was energetic and the sermon was relatively short—not quite the style we're used to, but it was great to see a church so passionate about sharing biblical truth with those who need to hear it. There were lots of new people visiting; not surprising given the location.
Sunday ended up being more of a rest day since we canceled our evening catamaran sailing due to the strong winds that had been hitting the islands. So we just worked out and took it easy at the hotel before doing dinner at Marugame Udon. The food is still cheap relative to other places in Waikiki, and they have gyūdon bowls now, though I'm guessing not many people order those since the worker seemed a little taken aback when I did!
Afterwards, we did sunset yoga at Kapi'olani Regional Park, led by a nice girl from a local yoga studio. Watching the sunset while doing yoga sounds/is nice, but in actuality I was focused more on trying to get my form right than on the scenery!
Monday was the first day we had a rental car. We used it to drive out to Sea Life Park, where we saw a few small shows (the dolphin show was great) and then did the Aloha Kai Luau at night. It was a typical luau with games of skill that I'm very bad at, a Polynesian-themed buffet, dancing and musical performances, and fire dancing. I particularly liked the food and the fire dancing!
Tuesday was the last day of our car rental, so we used it to visit several places: National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (a.k.a. Punchbowl), Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden, a Hands-on Fireknife Experience, and then Foodland and L&L in Kaneohe on the way back. We walked around Punchbowl and the botanical garden, and I enjoyed the views at the former and the forested hiking at the latter. Ho'omaluhia is situated in a caldera in what was an active volcano two million years ago, and there's a lake with lots of koi where everyone goes to take pictures. But there are a lot of trails to explore, including one that takes you to a secluded part of the lake where it's peaceful and scenic.
The next day saw us hiking and enjoying the views at Diamond Head. It was more crowded than the last time we visited, and advanced tickets are now needed for non-residents. Fortunately, the Oahu pass included transportation and tickets. Still, I made us walk 3 miles back instead of waiting for the shuttle because, well, that's the kind of thing I do. A lunch at Marugame Udon was the consolation for Priscilla's tired legs. The rest of the day was fairly chill—we saw a free hula show at the International Market Place and got some onigiris and other things from a 7-Eleven.
Thursday was our final day. Since this was originally supposed to be our Pearl Harbor day, we had a lot of free time. After checking out of the hotel late, we did an audio tour by Shaka Guide which had us visit the Sheraton Waikiki, Royal Hawaiian, Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort, International Market Place, Moana Surfrider, Stones of Life, and the Duke Paoa Kahanamoku Statue. It was cool to walk through these different hotels and learn some of their history, and to see things like the huge 160-year-old banyan tree that the International Market Place was built around.
And before taking Uber back to the airport, we had lunch at... yep, Marugame Udon again. Priscilla can't seem to get enough of that place. And they have several California locations now, including one near her parents. Guess we'll be going there often!
Priscilla always likes traveling more than I do and this trip was no exception, but it was nice that she had us do some outdoor activities, had us go to grocery stores to get fruit and veggies, and scheduled downtime so that we/I wouldn't feel overwhelmed. I don't care for traveling for the sake of traveling, and I felt that this trip had a bit of that, but there were plenty of enjoyable things too. All of the activities we did were either free or covered by the Oahu pass, and we got our money's worth from the pass (after travel credits). But since there are other islands we haven't been to, we might do a new one the next time we visit Hawaii. Maybe Maui, in another ten years' time?
We haven't been to all the islands, but Priscilla wanted us to go to Oahu again because the Go City Oahu pass covered a lot of activities and she got a good deal on it. The pass was $784 for the two of us, but after travel credits it was around $330. So last month, we flew out from LAX for our 9-day trip.
Since our flight was at 8:30am, we took Uber to the LAX area the night before and stayed overnight at Holiday Inn. We still got up at 5:30am to pack up and catch the hotel shuttle to the airport, though we probably could've pushed it back half an hour since getting through security was a breeze. But better safe than sorry.
Our Hawaiian Airlines flight was a little over 5 hours. They served a breakfast sandwich, but Priscilla packed me a healthy breakfast since I have dietary restrictions, and since it meant that she could have double the sandwiches.
There was free Starlink WiFi onboard, courtesy of T-Mobile, and it was quite fast. Unlike traditional providers, Starlink uses low Earth orbit satellites that communicate with each other using lasers to create a mesh network that covers practically the whole globe.
We touched down at HNL on a Wednesday and took some time to check out the Cultural Gardens at the airport. Then we took Uber to the Residence Inn in Kapolei, our home for the next two days.
The biggest thing we did in Kapolei was the ropes course at Coral Crater Adventure Park. The course was fun enough but was a little short. Unlike the previous two ropes courses we've done, this one was completely supervised and didn't let you repeat obstacles. The course ended in going to the top of the tower and jumping off, with a belay system slowing your descent.
Our two days in Kapolei were pretty laid back. We did a lot of walking, enjoyed some of the nearby eateries (I mostly just got L&L), rewatched Happy Death Day, worked out at the hotel fitness center, and swam at the hotel pool. Nevertheless, it felt like we did a lot in those two days!
Friday, before taking Uber to Waikiki, we visited Pearl Harbor for the third time, this time seeing the paid exhibits thanks to the Oahu pass. We saw the USS Battleship Missouri Memorial, Aviation Museum, and the USS Bowfin. We particularly liked the Missouri, as it had a really immersive tour around and through the ship, so you got a picture of what life on board was like. It was cool to see things like a post office and a bread baking room on the ship! And seeing the difference between the very cozy crew bunks on the lower decks to the small cabins for lower-ranking officers to the fancy cabins for the captain and executive officer was very illustrative.
After checking into Holiday Inn Express Waikiki, where we would be staying for the remaining six nights, we headed over to Fort DeRussy Beach to catch the fireworks put on by the Hilton. There were so many people packed onto the beach and so many people in line for Steak Shack there. At least we were able to see all the fireworks as we waited in line for food. There was also a guy playing guitar and singing covers. He was really good, and it felt like we all had our own private concert right on the beach!
Saturday was supposed to be our rest day, but we ended up walking 9.3 miles and doing a lot! After mini golf and working out at the hotel, we walked to Komedokoro M's for lunch, Ala Moana Regional Park, got groceries from Foodland Farms at the Ala Moana Center, then later in the day saw the Kuhio Beach hula show, had dinner at King of Thai Boat Noodles, and finally walked along the Ala Wai Canal. During the walk back, we just happened to catch the 10-minute drone show that was put on for 'Iolani School on the other side of the canal. It was really something.
We're now trying to go to an actual church while traveling instead of livestreaming, so Sunday morning we visited Waikiki Baptist Church, just a block from our hotel. The worship was energetic and the sermon was relatively short—not quite the style we're used to, but it was great to see a church so passionate about sharing biblical truth with those who need to hear it. There were lots of new people visiting; not surprising given the location.
Sunday ended up being more of a rest day since we canceled our evening catamaran sailing due to the strong winds that had been hitting the islands. So we just worked out and took it easy at the hotel before doing dinner at Marugame Udon. The food is still cheap relative to other places in Waikiki, and they have gyūdon bowls now, though I'm guessing not many people order those since the worker seemed a little taken aback when I did!
Afterwards, we did sunset yoga at Kapi'olani Regional Park, led by a nice girl from a local yoga studio. Watching the sunset while doing yoga sounds/is nice, but in actuality I was focused more on trying to get my form right than on the scenery!
Monday was the first day we had a rental car. We used it to drive out to Sea Life Park, where we saw a few small shows (the dolphin show was great) and then did the Aloha Kai Luau at night. It was a typical luau with games of skill that I'm very bad at, a Polynesian-themed buffet, dancing and musical performances, and fire dancing. I particularly liked the food and the fire dancing!
Tuesday was the last day of our car rental, so we used it to visit several places: National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (a.k.a. Punchbowl), Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden, a Hands-on Fireknife Experience, and then Foodland and L&L in Kaneohe on the way back. We walked around Punchbowl and the botanical garden, and I enjoyed the views at the former and the forested hiking at the latter. Ho'omaluhia is situated in a caldera in what was an active volcano two million years ago, and there's a lake with lots of koi where everyone goes to take pictures. But there are a lot of trails to explore, including one that takes you to a secluded part of the lake where it's peaceful and scenic.
The next day saw us hiking and enjoying the views at Diamond Head. It was more crowded than the last time we visited, and advanced tickets are now needed for non-residents. Fortunately, the Oahu pass included transportation and tickets. Still, I made us walk 3 miles back instead of waiting for the shuttle because, well, that's the kind of thing I do. A lunch at Marugame Udon was the consolation for Priscilla's tired legs. The rest of the day was fairly chill—we saw a free hula show at the International Market Place and got some onigiris and other things from a 7-Eleven.
Thursday was our final day. Since this was originally supposed to be our Pearl Harbor day, we had a lot of free time. After checking out of the hotel late, we did an audio tour by Shaka Guide which had us visit the Sheraton Waikiki, Royal Hawaiian, Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort, International Market Place, Moana Surfrider, Stones of Life, and the Duke Paoa Kahanamoku Statue. It was cool to walk through these different hotels and learn some of their history, and to see things like the huge 160-year-old banyan tree that the International Market Place was built around.
And before taking Uber back to the airport, we had lunch at... yep, Marugame Udon again. Priscilla can't seem to get enough of that place. And they have several California locations now, including one near her parents. Guess we'll be going there often!
Priscilla always likes traveling more than I do and this trip was no exception, but it was nice that she had us do some outdoor activities, had us go to grocery stores to get fruit and veggies, and scheduled downtime so that we/I wouldn't feel overwhelmed. I don't care for traveling for the sake of traveling, and I felt that this trip had a bit of that, but there were plenty of enjoyable things too. All of the activities we did were either free or covered by the Oahu pass, and we got our money's worth from the pass (after travel credits). But since there are other islands we haven't been to, we might do a new one the next time we visit Hawaii. Maybe Maui, in another ten years' time?
Chapters Begin, Chapters End - Thursday, March 12, 2026
After moving, we've been called back to the Bay Area each year. In 2024 it was to say goodbye to my coworkers, last year it was to get Priscilla's keyboard and guitar, and this year it was for a wedding!
Our church friend Joanne tied the knot last Friday, and there were so many people in attendance. The ceremony was held at our old church and there wasn't enough room to accommodate everyone, so some people were invited to the reception only. The reception had maybe 300 to 400 people. Joanne is so kind and outgoing and knows so many people, and it seems like her husband is the same!
Priscilla and I drove up Thursday, and the drive up the 101 wasn't too bad. We stopped in San Luis Obispo for poke at Pokirito and it was pretty good. We might go there again.
Thursday evening I went for a short run with my old coworker Frank. We kept it short since he's dealing with some knee pain. I can relate since I have my own knee pain and foot pain that I'm battling. The joys of getting older.
As mentioned, Friday was the wedding, and we talked to so many people. Saturday, Priscilla and I continued our yearly tradition of hiking Mission Peak. We saw one uncle and aunt that evening, went to our old church on Sunday and talked to many more people, had lunch with my other uncle and aunt, and hung out with Tracy at a park. Then Monday, I met up with my old team for lunch (6 people attended) while Priscilla had lunch with her coworkers. I saw Frank again to do pullups and met up with Lisa for dinner at a Korean place. Finally, at the end of the night, I went to pick up Priscilla where she was hanging out with some more church friends and we talked some more with them. Whew. Our trip was packed with social engagements, and while the time was certainly meaningful, my social battery was completely drained.
It was really nice to see my old team again; I hadn't seen most of them for almost a year and a half. Yet, the moment felt bittersweet. Getting together again was wonderful, but it dawned on me that I'm in a totally different chapter of life now compared to my coworkers. While they're still slaving away at work (one guy half-jokingly said that "everything sucks now"), I'm enjoying the "retired" life. And while I like to think of my situation as more "financial independence" than "retirement" since the latter has a certain connotation that doesn't accurately describe what I'm doing, nonetheless my life is really different from that of my coworkers. And without the bond of continuing to fight in the trenches together, it's difficult to sustain a relationship. With Frank I built a relationship based on shared interests (which is logical since we were on different teams), but with my old team, the thing that ultimately bound us together was the work. It was only after the lunch that I realized that this may have been the last time I'll see most of my old team. If someone is passing through my area and wants to grab lunch, I'd love to catch up, but I think it would be more awkward than anything else for me to go see my whole team again.
What I'm beginning to understand is that one's life is like a book loosely divided into chapters, where the divisions between chapters often aren't clear-cut, and where many characters might play a large role in some chapters and much less, if any, in the remaining. This in no way diminishes their contribution or their importance, but rather it means that the story takes a new turn with a different setting and different people. With a novel, we learn to be okay with this and even expect it. Real life is the same.
Coming to terms with this is difficult, especially since I like my coworkers so much. My team was the biggest reason why I stayed at the company for 11 years. But what arises most from this realization is a greater appreciation for them having been part of my life, and a stronger desire to be intentional with my current relationships. In so many ways, every day is a new day.
Our church friend Joanne tied the knot last Friday, and there were so many people in attendance. The ceremony was held at our old church and there wasn't enough room to accommodate everyone, so some people were invited to the reception only. The reception had maybe 300 to 400 people. Joanne is so kind and outgoing and knows so many people, and it seems like her husband is the same!
Priscilla and I drove up Thursday, and the drive up the 101 wasn't too bad. We stopped in San Luis Obispo for poke at Pokirito and it was pretty good. We might go there again.
Thursday evening I went for a short run with my old coworker Frank. We kept it short since he's dealing with some knee pain. I can relate since I have my own knee pain and foot pain that I'm battling. The joys of getting older.
As mentioned, Friday was the wedding, and we talked to so many people. Saturday, Priscilla and I continued our yearly tradition of hiking Mission Peak. We saw one uncle and aunt that evening, went to our old church on Sunday and talked to many more people, had lunch with my other uncle and aunt, and hung out with Tracy at a park. Then Monday, I met up with my old team for lunch (6 people attended) while Priscilla had lunch with her coworkers. I saw Frank again to do pullups and met up with Lisa for dinner at a Korean place. Finally, at the end of the night, I went to pick up Priscilla where she was hanging out with some more church friends and we talked some more with them. Whew. Our trip was packed with social engagements, and while the time was certainly meaningful, my social battery was completely drained.
It was really nice to see my old team again; I hadn't seen most of them for almost a year and a half. Yet, the moment felt bittersweet. Getting together again was wonderful, but it dawned on me that I'm in a totally different chapter of life now compared to my coworkers. While they're still slaving away at work (one guy half-jokingly said that "everything sucks now"), I'm enjoying the "retired" life. And while I like to think of my situation as more "financial independence" than "retirement" since the latter has a certain connotation that doesn't accurately describe what I'm doing, nonetheless my life is really different from that of my coworkers. And without the bond of continuing to fight in the trenches together, it's difficult to sustain a relationship. With Frank I built a relationship based on shared interests (which is logical since we were on different teams), but with my old team, the thing that ultimately bound us together was the work. It was only after the lunch that I realized that this may have been the last time I'll see most of my old team. If someone is passing through my area and wants to grab lunch, I'd love to catch up, but I think it would be more awkward than anything else for me to go see my whole team again.
What I'm beginning to understand is that one's life is like a book loosely divided into chapters, where the divisions between chapters often aren't clear-cut, and where many characters might play a large role in some chapters and much less, if any, in the remaining. This in no way diminishes their contribution or their importance, but rather it means that the story takes a new turn with a different setting and different people. With a novel, we learn to be okay with this and even expect it. Real life is the same.
Coming to terms with this is difficult, especially since I like my coworkers so much. My team was the biggest reason why I stayed at the company for 11 years. But what arises most from this realization is a greater appreciation for them having been part of my life, and a stronger desire to be intentional with my current relationships. In so many ways, every day is a new day.